Discourse, power and mobility of the smart city agenda in Brazil

Abstract

In Brazil, we observe the first effort to federalize the smart agenda with the publication of the Brazilian Charter for Smart Cities in 2020. Inspired by the German Smart City Chart, it is the result of the mobility and global circulation of smart cities policy. Recognizing that strategic documents are capable of determining policies, projects and public investments, the article proposes to investigate and demystify the discursive practices that legitimize the smart agenda. Thus, critical reflections are proposed about risks and recombination of interests based on the mobility of the smart agenda and federal upscaling in Brazil. A comparative analysis between the two documents revealed the risks of a socio-technical bifurcation, erosion of public value and legitimation of technocratic planning.